-20% Winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, "Half of a Yellow Sun" is a remarkable novel that recreates a seminal moment in modern African history: the Biafran War. Through the lives of five unforgettable characters, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie illuminates the complexities and tragedies of this pivotal historical moment with extraordinary emotional depth and insight.
The story follows Ugwu, a thirteen-year-old houseboy working for a university professor; Olanna, the professor's beautiful young lover; Richard, a shy Englishman infatuated with Olanna's twin sister; and various other characters whose lives intersect in the midst of political upheaval. As Nigerian troops advance and the characters must run for their lives, their ideals are severely tested, and their loyalties challenged.
Adichie's powerful narrative explores themes of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race, and the ways in which love can complicate and redeem our lives. The novel masterfully blends personal stories with political history, creating an unforgettable portrait of a nation in turmoil and the individuals caught in its wake.
The book not only provides a gripping account of a crucial period in Nigerian history but also serves as a profound meditation on moral responsibility, the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class, race, and the ways in which love can both complicate and redeem our lives.
